Data Center Developer to Present at Chillicothe Council Review Session Tonight
Chillicothe City Council enacted a 60-day data center moratorium, which was passed with an emergency declaration and minimal review. A developer, Alignment Engine, is scheduled to present details of their proposed data center and circuit board manufacturing facility at the former Chilpaco mill site at a public review session. The meeting will also discuss possible changes to the Unified Development Code related to data centers.
Chillicothe City Council has enacted a 60-day moratorium on data center development within city limits, passing the emergency legislation unanimously and immediately without the standard review period. This action came after a presumed data center project was announced for the former paper mill site, owned by John Todoroki and US Paper Mill LLC, and a lack of communication from the developer with the city.
The council has scheduled a public review meeting at Chillicothe High School Auditorium, where Alignment Engine, the developer proposing a data center and circuit board manufacturing facility at the US Paper Mill site, will give a presentation. Council members Creed, DeMint, McQuirt, and McKeever are calling for this open session to discuss the project and potential changes to the Unified Development Code stemming from the moratorium ordinance.
Public sentiment has largely leaned against the data center, and a statewide initiative called "Conserve Ohio" is collecting signatures to amend the Ohio Constitution to limit new data center sizes. Despite his pessimism regarding the moratorium, site owner John Todoroki has committed to addressing existing environmental issues at the former paper mill, including groundwater pollution and landfill maintenance, though he is not legally responsible for them. The meeting will be videorecorded and livestreamed by the Chillicothe Film Commission for broader community access.